Clif Smart may have cautiously stepped into the shoes of the Missouri State University presidency, but with two months under his belt, he feels settled in the role.
Smart was the featured guest this morning for Springfield Business Journal's monthly
12 People You Need to Know series, held at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Smart stepped in to field the event for James Cofer - originally picked by SBJ's editors for today's conversation - much as he did for the presidency itself.
Smart, who had worked as MSU general counsel since December 2007, was appointed as interim president of the university after Cofer's sudden resignation in late June.
Smart said at first, he was hesitant to accept.
"I initially declined," Smart said, noting he was one of four to six members of the MSU cabinet considered by the board for the interim position. But his decision changed with the backing of fellow cabinet members. "Essentially, (they) all encouraged me to do it for the good of the group and for stability."
After accepting the position, Smart named Frank Einhellig, the previous dean of the graduate college, as interim provost of the university. Smart recognized the appointment as a step in positively engaging the faculty, as Einhellig had been a popular administrator before being reassigned to the role of associate vice president for research.
"The faculty is a tougher sell. They just wanted to know that they were going to be heard," Smart said. "Frank was the right choice."
Smart - who worked at Springfield-based The Strong Law Firm PC for 15 years before joining MSU - is embracing his business roots to manage the second-largest university in the state.
His initial priority has been to engage the school's constituents and stakeholders, including students, business leaders, chamber members, legislators and the governor's staff.
"You become a face of the university," Smart said, noting he works 60 to 80 hours a week. "I think that's the most important thing a president can do is to be involved in the community."
Smart has embraced Mike Nietzel's presidency as a blueprint for his own work. He pointed to Nietzel's belief in community engagement during his 2005-10 run.
"Mike Nietzel was a master of that. If anything, he was a mentor of mine," Smart said, adding that he has been in contact with Nietzel for help with the position.
Using the aid of faculty, staff and board members wisely is important to Smart, who said teamwork is a necessity as less state funding has forced the school to take a different outlook.
About 29 percent of MSU's funding comes from state appropriations, after a reduction of 7 percent, or approximately $6 million, from the state for the fiscal year. Smart said it is expected that about 27 percent of the school's funding will come from the state next academic year.
Smart said the school has worked its lessening budget by being more proactive in garnering grants and other external funding, reallocating funds and creating a smaller footprint.
"Our goal this year is an across-the-board pay raise in January and again in July," he said, noting most faculty members haven't had a raise in pay in three years. "We need to fix that.
"If we don't take care of our faculty and staff ... we'll lose them."
Salary increases come primarily through reallocations, but Smart notes the school is healthy financially with up to $60 million in reserves.
As the board moves to select a permanent president for the school beginning in fall 2012, Smart could be in the running, but he said it's too early to tell whether he'd take the post on a permanent basis.
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